Taking The Chance
by Satya Kaden
Summary: This is the sequel to "Second Chances". What happens after the reunion is over? ***THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS NOW HERE*****
1. Default Chapter

Kiandra sat in the living room of the apartment

Disclaimer: Yes, well, I own nothing IaHb related.

Note: This sequel will be way shorter than "Second Chances" was.I never expected that one to turn out so long.Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed it.I hope this follow-up does it justice.Thanks to Ivy Leaves for reading this chapter for me, even though I hadn't read it over myself yet.So, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one.Don't forget to review.

Kiandra sat in the living room of the apartment.She sat slouched on the old couch and stared straight ahead.Slowly, she raised the remote control to the television and aimed it at the small box.Pressing the 'on' button, the television sprung to life.People and colors moved very fast across the screen, assaulting her eyes as she tried to understand exactly what it was they were trying to sell.Kiandra had never liked commercials all that much.

She clicked the channel button, hoping that something a bit more entertaining would be on.Nothing.She clicked the channel button again.

Normally, Kiandra didn't watch television.She was usually so busy doing other things that she didn't have time to waste sitting in front of the television, getting wrapped up in some show's storyline.But, today was different.Today, at that minute, Kiandra was attempting to waste time.Her roommate was due home any minute now and Kiandra couldn't wait to see her.She couldn't wait to hear all about what had happened at the reunion.Of course, Kiandra already knew some of what had been happening since Val had called her twice since leaving for Kingsport.But, after that, the phones had been suspiciously silent.

Kiandra had been sure after her last conversation with Val, she would get another phone call before Val left the reunion.After all, it had been Kiandra who had given Val the idea to invite Tyler to return to the city with her.And Val had been so adamant in saying that she was _not_ going to ask Tyler anything of the sort.But, Kiandra knew her friend well and she knew that her friend would eventually cave in.Wouldn't she?

Kiandra had been so sure that Val would call to say that she was bringing Tyler home with her.She had been so sure that Val would have wanted to call and allow Kiandra to gloat about it.If Tyler were coming with her, Kiandra thought as she changed the channel again, wouldn't she be so excited that she would call and tell me?

She had sat on the couch, within reach of the phone for what seemed like hours now.Kiandra had waited, her patience slowly draining, for the call in which her roommate would be way too chipper and excited.Her roommate's voice would be high with excitement as she explained how they would be having a guest for a while.And then Val would tell Kiandra that she had been right and that she should have listened to her all along.Kiandra had had it all planned out.And yet, the phone was still quiet.

Perhaps, Kiandra thought for the first time since talking to Val last, Tyler is not coming with her. 

But, even then, Kiandra would have expected a phone call.Val would be very upset, Kiandra knew, if she had had to leave Tyler.In such a case, Val would have called Kiandra and cried, right?

Kiandra shook her head and sighed.She clicked the television off and welcomed the silence of the apartment.She wanted so badly for her roommate to be happy and she knew that the only way that would happen would be if Val brought Tyler home with her.She hadn't even met the guy in person yet, but she could already tell how happy he made Val.And to Kiandra, that was all that mattered.Within her life of long working hours and business meetings, Val deserved a little bit of happiness.And Tyler seemed to be just what she needed.Kiandra just hoped that Val would not try too hard to focus on whatever option seemed to make more sense.She hoped Val listened to her heart instead.

I'll just have to wait and see, Kiandra thought sighing again as she slouched down deeper into the cushions of the couch.She just wished that Val would hurry and get home so that she would finally know for sure what Val had decided about Tyler.

……………………………..

Tyler glanced at Val before turning his eyes back to the road.He smiled to himself as he thought of everything that had happened over the weekend of the reunion.He remembered how he had been so nervous to see Val again and to give her the box of letters.After all, those letters explained exactly how he felt for her.And then when he had finally given her the letters, he had been afraid of what she would think of him.But, he thought as he guided the car on the highway, it all worked out in the end. 

He looked over at Val again.She was facing away from him, looking out the window.But, he knew that if he simply whispered her name, she would turn and he would see the beautiful face that he had fallen in love with.The thought made his heart jump.She was his-finally.After so many years of wondering if he would ever have a chance with her, Tyler finally had his answer.

Tyler reached out slowly with his right hand and gently touched Val's left hand, which sat idle in her lap.As he suspected, she turned and a smile graced her beautiful face.And his heart jumped again as he realized that that smile was solely for him.He interlaced his fingers with her own and then turned his attention back to the road.In his opinion, life could not possibly get any better than that.

And he couldn't believe that any of it was really happening.Just hours ago, he had been convinced that he would lose Val forever.He had been sure that after the reunion he would have to go back to the dull monotony of his life without her.And then everything had changed.Now here he was, driving with her back to the city.He was going with her under the premise that he was going to meet her roommate.Yet, both of them knew that that was not the real reason he was going.The real reason was to stay with the one person he loved more than life itself.They were buying time to stay together.Nothing more, really.All he and Val wanted was to be together for a longer period of time than the reunion weekend would allow.Meeting Kiandra was just a perk, Tyler reasoned.

According to Val, Kiandra had been the one to give Val the idea of inviting Tyler back to the city.I'll have to thank Kiandra for that one, Tyler thought, squeezing Val's hand slowly.

"So, tell me about your roommate," Tyler said and Val smiled warmly.Her roommate had always been very special to her.

Val had met Kiandra in a very ordinary way.Val had needed a roommate to help pay the rent every month.So, she had put an ad in the newspaper and had hung some small sheet paper signs around the neighborhood.Not even two hours after the last of the signs had been put up, Kiandra had called Val.They met and had become instant friends.And although Kiandra's friendship with Val would never be the same or better as Caitie's friendship with Val, it was still special in its own right.

"Well, she's definitely interesting," Val responded laughing."But, she's great.I think she knows me better than I know myself."

Tyler chuckled and automatically dismissed the last statement as a simple joke.But Val was the one to really laugh inside at what she had said.In her mind, she thought back to the last few conversations she had had with Kiandra.Before she had left for the reunion, Kiandra had bet Val five dollars that Val would end up dancing with Tyler.But, then the ante had increased to ten more dollars if Val spent the whole reunion with Tyler.Val had scoffed at both bets, thinking that she would win them easily.She was very, very wrong.

Then at the reunion, Kiandra had introduced a whole new bet on top of the other two.And this one was the biggest one of all.Val had been so sure that she would win the fleece sweater, which was the prize to the winner of the bet.She had even told Kiandra the color of sweater to buy her when she won.She had just been _so sure_.But, again, Val was wrong.

And, Val thought wryly as she glanced at Tyler in the driver seat, Kiandra has won _another_ bet.

No matter how hard she tried, she could not win a bet against Kiandra.And she had tried many times in the past.But, the other girl had always won.Thus, Val was not totally kidding around when she had told Tyler that she thinks Kiandra knows her better than she knows herself.Kiandra always seemed to know what Val would do in a given situation.And she always used that information to win a bet against her good friend.

Val glanced out the passenger window of the car and watched as trees and road signs whizzed by.They were getting very close to the city, as Val could recognize some of the different buildings on the side of the highway.

"Oh, speaking of Kiandra knowing me so well, could you take the exit right up here, please?"Val asked Tyler.

Tyler looked at her questioningly for a second before returning his eyes back to the road.He obliged her by turning his blinker on and getting in the exit lane."I thought you said your apartment was off exit 18.This is only 16."

Val smiled, knowing that eventually she would have to explain to him about all the bets based on him that had taken place that weekend.But, now really was not the time to go into the whole silly story about how Val could not win a bet to save her life and how her roommate had somehow known that Val would end up falling in love with Tyler all over again at the reunion."I know," she said quickly, pointing to the exit sign, "but I have to make a quick stop at the mall first."

………………………………….

Marge had been in the clothing business for years.And she loved her work.Some people would have sneered at the fact that at 52, Marge was still working at a clothes store in the mall.After all, the tiring complaint said, wasn't that the sort of job for kids returning from college for the summer?To the critics, clothes retail was not a job for an older woman.Yet, Marge ignored all such whispers of the younger generation as they walked out of her store.She knew the true lessons that this job had taught her.

Ever since she had been a little girl, Marge had been fascinated by clothes.She had been amazed by the different colors and designs that could be put together in order to make a new style emerge and take over the industry.During her teen years, Marge had spent all of her weekly allowance on magazines at the local newsstand.She would flip through the magazines every night and study the fashions that the models were wearing.And she would dream about what she, personally, could do to those styles and colors to make them better.

Years of studying fashion design had led her here, to own her own little corner of the mall."Fantastique", was her store, her baby.She had created it out of her own mind and had borrowed the name from a word she had once heard a French model say.It had seemed to fit the store quite nicely, seeing how Marge would not let anything but the best merchandise in her store.Sure, it was a little pricey.But, Marge thought as she folded a soft golden wool sweater and placed in lovingly on the shelf before her, you have to pay a bit more for the best. 

She might have been older than most of the other employees at the mall, but she knew what she was doing.And there was no way in the world that she was going to allow some college kid come in and try to push her out of her own domain.No way.She knew the business inside out.And she had The Eye.

Yes, the eye was a very important thing to have in this business.The eye for detail had to be sharp and constantly on the lookout for anything that stood out from the rest of the crowd.But, it also had to make sure that every blouse, skirt and shoe that went through the store was in perfect condition –100 %.

Marge had trained herself over the years to have such an eye.And after so many years of working hard, she could say with much pleasure that she had one of the best eyes in the business. She was constantly making sure everything in her store was perfect.After all, paying attention to detail was her job. 

That is why when the couple entered the store Marge's interest was suddenly peaked.They were young, she could tell, just a few years out of high school.And they stood close to each other holding hands as if they were new at it all.Marge smiled at them as they passed her and walked to the back of the store where the fleece sweaters were kept.Ah, she thought, young love.

It was refreshing to see such a couple, she thought as she watched them out of the corner of her eye.They seemed so nervous, every move around each other was tentative as if they were afraid that they could possibly break out of the dream world they had created around them.They acted like twelve year olds on their first date.Yes, Marge thought, it was very nice to see.

She turned and watched as the blond girl picked up the red fleece sweater and held it up for her boyfriend to see.She said something to him, but Marge was too far away to hear what the girl had said.Whatever it was, the boyfriend smiled suddenly and leaned down to kiss the top of the girl's head.

Marge grinned.She didn't have any idea who they were.She didn't know where they came from or where they were going in life.But, Marge knew one thing for certain.Those two young kids in the back of the store staring at each other in pure love were going to make it.They were going to be together forever.Marge would have staked her whole store on that bet.She could see it in their eyes as soon as they walked in the store.And the way they acted around each other….Yes, Marge thought as she folded another golden sweater.Those two are going to be together forever.

And no one would have argued with Marge either if she had voiced her opinion to any of her colleagues.Everyone knew that Marge had The Eye for detail.Sometimes, as in this case, The Eye worked for more than just a loose thread on a shirt or a missing button.Sometimes it worked for human nature as well.

Marge set the sweater she had been folding on the shelf in front of her and then walked slowly to the register at the front of the store.She could tell that the girl was right behind her, following her to the register to pay for her purchase.The red fleece sweater was hanging over her right arm.

She smiled a welcoming smile as the younger girl came near and placed the fleece sweater on the counter between herself and Marge.

"And how are you today, dear?"Marge asked as she began to ring up the girl's purchase.She always liked to be civil with her customers, to treat them as if they really mattered.In so many other stores, clerks sometimes did not even acknowledge the buyer's existence other than the take their money or credit card from them.But, not in "Fantastique".Everyone mattered in that store and Marge liked to show them that she did care.

"Oh, I am good," Val returned with a small smile of her own.

Marge nodded and placed the sweater in a plastic bag bearing the store's logo."That will be $53.50, my dear."

Val reached into her wallet and pulled out her credit card.She handed the card over to the nice older lady behind the counter and watched as the lady ran it through the machine.A small voice in her head seemed to groan as the transaction was completed.After all, Val had wanted to sweater so badly.And she had been so sure that she could win that bet.But, again Kiandra had won.

The cashier pulled out the receipt from the machine and placed it (and a pen) on the counter in front of Val to sign.Val leaned over the counter and slowly signed the small sheet of paper in front of her.

"The sweater will look beautiful on you," Marge said as she watched the young girl sign her credit card receipt.

The girl looked up abruptly."Oh, it's not for me," she simply said before returning to the task at hand.The girl finished signing and handed the pen to Marge."To tell you the truth, it is for a friend of mine who never loses a bet," Val added warily.

Marge cocked her head to the side a bit and wished that the girl would continue.Obviously, there was a story behind buying the sweater and Marge wished more than anything to hear it.She loved a good story.

Val leaned over the counter more and lowered her voice."This past weekend was my high school reunion and I saw that guy over there for the first time in years."She pointed to the back of the store where Tyler stood, studying the men's shirts."I only wanted to prove to myself that we could be friends again, even though I had not heard from him since graduation.But, I did not really plan on falling in love with him again."

Marge's eyebrows lifted.Aye, this story was a good one.

"But somehow," Val continued, "somehow my roommate had known that it would happen.She even bet me that I would bring him back with me to the city.I thought that was crazy.I mean, why would he want to leave everything he had worked for to come with me?So, my roommate bet me this sweater that I would ask him to come with me.And, as you can tell, I lost the bet."

Marge smiled and she handed the bag with Val's purchase in it across the counter top to the young girl.Sometimes, she thought, the young ones have it backwards.

"Perhaps you are wrong," Marge said slowly.

The younger girl looked up at her, a small frown forming on her lips.Marge could just guess what the girl was thinking.Wrong?How could she possibly be wrong?

"Perhaps you are the one that won.After all, you are the one who has found a way to stay with the one you love.That, in itself, makes me think that perhaps you have won the bet," Marge concluded.She watched as the young man of the couple joined the young girl in front of the register.His hand touched the young girl's arm lightly and she turned to smile at him.

"Yes," Val said after a moment and she looked back at the older woman before her."I think you are right.I did win what was most important after all."

Marge bade the couple a good day and then watched as they walked out of the store, hand in hand.She chuckled as she thought back on the condensed version of the story she had just been told.How clever the roommate was to think of such a scheme to get the young girl to bring the young man home with her, Marge thought.Perhaps the roommate has an eye for details as well.

………………………………

"What was that all about back in that store?About you winning and all that?"Tyler asked as he and Val walked down the hallway of the mall to the main entrance.

"Oh nothing," Val responded, still not wanting to give away the bets that had taken place between her and Kiandra."Just girl talk."

…………………………..

Kiandra paced the floor of the living room.She wished that the darn phone would ring so that she knew that Val was all right.She should have been home by now, she thought as she turned to resume her pacing in the other direction.

Worry melted through Kiandra's mind.Where was Val?Wild thoughts flew through her head of every worse case scenario.She didn't like it one bit.What if Val had been so upset over having lost Tyler that she got into a car accident?Kiandra would never forgive herself if something like that happened.Oh, where is she, she thought silently.

Kiandra just hoped that her roommate was okay.

………………………………….

"Okay," Val started as she positioned Tyler in front of the door."You just stand here like that and hold the sweater up like this."She positioned Tyler's hands around the sweater until he was holding it chest high.

"Good," she whispered and then reached in her pocket for the fifteen dollars.She reached up and tucked the bills into Tyler's right hand as it held onto the sweater.Val made sure the denominations were sticking out in plain sight."Perfect," she said, trying to stifle a giggle.She knew Kiandra would get a kick out of this one.

"And exactly why am I standing like this?"Tyler asked, more than a little confused.He felt like a total fool because he had no idea what was going on.

Val giggled."Don't worry about it," she said."I'll explain it all to you later."

Then before Tyler could protest anymore, Val knocked loudly on the door in front of them and them jumped back out of sight. This was going to be good, she knew.

……………………………….

Kiandra heard the knock on the door and walked briskly across the room to it.So, she thought angrily, on top of worrying me to death, Val seems to have forgotten her key?Well, I will tell her exactly what I think of that.

Kiandra threw open the door and started yelling before she could even see anyone before her.

"Girl, you had better explain why you------"Kiandra cut off in mid sentence as her eyes fell upon the stranger outside her doorway.

He was cute- blond hair, blue eyes.Kiandra reached into the back of her mind for a name.Had she met him somewhere before?She could not remember anything.And she realized that he was a complete and total stranger to her.She had never seen him before. 

And then her eyes fell upon what he was holding.A red fleece sweater was stretched out between his hands.And in his right hand was fifteen dollars.Kiandra stared at him for a minute, wondering what to make of this situation.Then she noticed the very confused look on his face and everything seemed to fall into place.She laughed as she realized who was standing outside her door and why he was holding those particular items.

In that second of time, all the worry she had felt went away.Everything was fine.She could tell.

"Well, hello.You must be Tyler," she said sweetly."I am so glad to see you here in the city."

Well, what do you think?Please review.The next part will be about Jamie and Caitie.


	2. Chapter Two

Jamie was more than a little cheerful as he loaded Caitie's bags into the trunk of his car

Disclaimer:I own nothing IaHB related.

Note:This chapter is for Darkchilde because I know she will absolutely love it.And besides, she has graciously given us permission to use her basement……….

If you have not read "Second Chances" or the first chapter to "Taking The Chance" yet, I suggest you do before reading this chapter.It probably won't make sense to you if you have not read the other stuff first.And as always, don't forget to review.Thanks.

Jamie was more than a little cheerful as he loaded Caitie's bags into the trunk of his car.Her two bags- a suitcase and duffel bag- sat next to his own suitcase.He looked at the luggage with a smile on his face.To the normal person, the sight of luggage in the trunk of a rental car would not mean much at all.But, to Jamie Waite, who had pretty much voted himself happiest person alive, it was the most beautiful sight to behold.To him, seeing three pieces of luggage in the trunk of his car meant the whole world to him.

It meant that everything was as it should be.It meant that Caitie was staying with him.And it meant that the happiness that he had found at the reunion would follow him all the way back to K's Camp.

He had been so happy when Caitie had announced that she was going to go back with him to his camp.He had wanted to show her the place for so long now.He had wanted to show her the layout of the camp with the woods and the lake.He had wanted to show her the buildings that he had planned and then helped to build. But, most of all, he had wanted to show Caitie the kids that came to his camp.They were all so full of life, almost as if they had been storing up their vitality until they had gotten to his camp.And then they had unleashed it into pure wonderful childhood.At Jamie's camp, every child had a chance to have their childhood, even when disease threatened to take it away.

Jamie knew that Caitie would like all of the kids.He knew that she would fall in love with all of them as he had done.She was like that.Underneath all of the sarcasm and sharp wit, she was an absolute sap when it came to kids.And these kids were even more special.They had a way of twisting themselves into your heart just by talking to them.Some people might have said that it was their sickness that made you feel for them and that the feelings were just pity.But, Jamie knew in his heart it was more than that.These kids had lived or were living through Hell when they came to his camp.A person couldn't help but feel a bit of love and respect for them.

Jamie shut the lid of the trunk and walked to the driver's side door.His hand went to the handle of the door and his fingers settled over it.Tugging just a bit, the door came open and Jamie bent to fit his body into the driver's seat.

He sat down in the cloth seat and moved until he sat a comfortable distance away from the wheel and pedals on the floor.He hated the seat to be too close to the front of the car.In a case such as that, he always felt way to close to the dash.And so, he had gotten into the habit of adjusting the seat as soon as he got in a car.After all, he didn't want his legs to get cramped after a bit of driving.

Twisting in his seat, he reached behind him and grabbed the seat belt.He pulled it across the front of him and secured it in the holder.Then he grabbed the keys from where they had been innocently laying on the dash of the car and he thrust them into the ignition.

Only then did he entertain a glance at the person sitting in the front passenger seat of the car.

She was slouched in the seat, her long brown hair shielding her face from his view.In her slender hands, she held the map to the airport.And she was studying it like there would be a pop quiz later.

A new smile graced Jamie's lips and for just one silent second, he thanked whatever celestial powers there were that had sent this girl into his life.As far as he was concerned, he was the luckiest person around.He had a thriving camp and the beautiful girl that he had known for more than half of his life was sitting next to him.Nothing could be better than that.

Without words, Jamie reached over and carefully touched the long strands of hair that hung in front of Caitie's face.Gently, he pulled them back and tucked them behind her ear.At his touch, she turned, a curious look on her face.

"Excuse me," she said, a pseudo-cool tone to her voice, "but I was looking at the map so that we would not get lost.Is there some reason that you interrupted me, James?"

He almost laughed at how prim she was acting.Oh, he knew it was all an act.She was just playing with him, as she always did.They had always played like this ever since the first time they had met so long ago.It was just their way.It was second nature now to act in such a manner towards each other.It could possibly be said that the playfulness of their friendship had brought them even closer together.After all, whom else could Jamie joke with in such a manner?All of his other friends would have thought he had gone insane if he had said something to them in the same prim voice that Caitie had just used.Either that, or they would not have understood that he was joking and they would have taken it personally.But, with Caitie it was different.With Caitie, joking around in such a manner was a specialty of their friendship.

"Actually," Jamie started slowly, making sure to pick his words right.He had to keep the game going."There was a reason I interrupted you."

Caitie twisted ever so slightly in her seat so that she was facing Jamie better.She cocked her head to one side and narrowed her eyes as if she were truly put out by his untimely interruption.She felt the opposite, though.She was glad that he had interrupted her train of thought.Her eyes had been about to cross from staring at all the intersecting roads and highways.Caitie had never been a true fan of maps and now she was pretty sure that whoever had made the one in her hand needed to be hurt badly.And she had been berating herself in her head for not being able to find the darn exit off the highway to the airport.There was absolutely no way that she would have simply asked Jamie.No way at all.She didn't want him to think that she couldn't find the darn road.After all, it had to be there somewhere, didn't it?So, she had stared at the map, hoping that the little tiny exit mark would jump off the page at her.Navigator Extraordinaire, she had thought sarcastically, that's me.Jamie's interruption had come just in time.

"Oh yeah?"She challenged.She watched as Jamie tried to fight the smile that threatened to show on his lips as he nodded his head yes."And just what was that reason, hmmm?"

"This," Jamie said and in one fluid motion, he leaned towards her and kissed her softly on the lips.

Jamie pulled back slowly and watched as Caitie tried to think of a clever remark to follow what had just happened.He smiled as he watched her eyes go wide and then narrow.It was almost as if he could hear the gears in her head turning as she thought.

"Yes, well," she said, smiling lightly at Jamie's small snicker."That was a very good reason to interrupt me."

Caitie turned back around in her seat and glanced down at the map in her lap.Then she quickly glanced back up at Jamie, a devilish look on her face.

"If you should….um…….feel the need to interrupt me for that sort of reason again, go right ahead."

Jamie grinned.Yes, he thought as he started the car, it doesn't get much better than this.

………………………………..

"Is he here yet?"A little voice asked.

Mike turned from where he had been working hard to hang up the volleyball net.At first he didn't see anyone near him, as his first reflex was to look around at his own eye level.But, then he glanced downward and smiled.Two little girls, both under the age of ten were smiling innocently back at him.They both wore scarves on their heads, tie-dyed ones that they had dyed themselves in arts & crafts just the day before.And from the looks of the colors, the girls had dyed the two scarves to match.

It was good to see that the girls were best friends.Mike knew that often times, kids with their sort of disease were not able to have many friends because they often missed out on the normal social interactions that a child their age might have.They barely ever got the opportunity of meeting kids in the classroom because most of the kids with cancer spent too much time out of school in the hospital.And no birthday parties to attend for the same reason.The kids were sometimes seen as too different from their peers and other kids sometimes simply did not want to hang around them because they feared the disease.Sometimes the kids with cancer felt alone, alienated from other kids their own age.But, here at K's Camp, it was different.

At K's Camp, all the kids got to meet kids around their own age, who were going or had gone through the same thing.They were all battling against the same enemy, and in that respect, a new alliance was formed-friendship.Kids came to K's Camp feeling dejected and alone.They left with a feeling of hope and a pocketful of new friends' addresses.

In Mike's opinion, nothing was better than seeing these two girls run around in matching scarves.They had become friends.That meant that they had a piece of their childhood back.It was all that Mike and Jamie had ever wanted for all of the kids that visited K's Camp.

Mike kneeled down on the ground in front of the two girls.They both giggled and he grinned at them."Is who here yet?"He asked.Of course, he knew whom they were talking about.It seemed as if his best friend and business partner had every female under the age of twenty-five sighing after him.Even Miss Perkins, the camp cook, who was forty-something (she never let anyone know what the 'something' was) always commented on how wonderful Jamie was as soon as he was out of earshot."That boy," she would say in her soft southern accent, "is a masterpiece.If I were only a few years younger….".Of course, Mike always thought after hearing that, Miss Perkins never seemed to realize that even if she were a few years younger, she would still be too old for Jamie's taste.

The two girls giggled again."Is Jamie back yet?"One asked sweetly.

Mike shook his head no slowly."Nope, not yet.But, he should be here anytime now."

The girls looked at each other and giggled once more.Mike tried hard not to grin at the two innocent faces before him."Make sure you show him those nice scarves you guys made when he gets here."

The two girls grinned as Mike stood."Do you like our scarves?"They asked.

Mike dropped to one knee again in front of them.He leaned forward a bit closer to the girls as if he had a secret that only they could know."I think they are the prettiest tie dyed scarves I have ever seen," he whispered and then watched as both girls smiled and ran off giggling to themselves.

………………………………….

The car tires rolled over the thick gravel, crunching the small stones underneath its weight.The car slowly ambled its way down the road, which was flanked on both sides by the tree line of the forest.The speed limit on that particular road was 25 because you never knew when there would be a cabin full of kids out and about in the woods.They might just be playing tag or hide and go seek.Or perhaps they would simply be taking a leisurely stroll on the side of the road with their counselors.No matter what they were doing near the woods, the speed limit dropped drastically when turning off the main road towards the camp.

Jamie, still in the driver's seat, glanced over towards Caitie and was pleased to see her back to him, her nose pressed against the window as they continued their drive further into the woods.That's why Jamie had been so sure that this had been the perfect spot for the camp.When he and Mike had come on their own to check out the site, he had fallen in love with the long ride through the woods that the road gave to them.It was a gift, he knew, to go slowly through the woods as they were.And sometimes, if one looked quite closely through the trees, one could catch sight of a deer or two.

Of course, the other plus of the camp being so far back in the woods was the privacy and room.The kids could be themselves and stretch their legs all in one.They could roam around the woods or play in the main part of camp.If anything, the camp was not all squished into a tight space.No, the kids at K's Camp had space. 

Caitie smiled to herself as the car rolled on.Had she just caught a glimpse of a few kids taking a hike in the woods?She had thought that they were there, but when she had looked back towards the spot she had seen them, the trees had hidden it well.She trained her eyes further into the woods again, hoping to catch a glance of the children that Jamie seemed to love so dearly.Suddenly a flash of red streaked through the woods and Caitie turned her eyes towards the color.

Two young boys-they couldn't be more than thirteen or fourteen- were running through the woods, close to the tree line.Both of their heads were bald as if they had been shaved only a smidge of time before.They were both as skinny as sticks, but even from the car window, Caitie could tell that their faces were smiling healthily.The red color Caitie had seen was their t-shirts.

They ran parallel to the car and every once in a while, they would turn their heads towards the car and wave to her.Caitie grinned and waved back, noting that the boys grinned at her acknowledgement.She looked at Jamie and smiled, knowing that even though his eyes were on the road, he knew exactly what she was feeling.She turned back to the window to wave to the kids once more, but all she could see was the green leaves and trees of the forest. 

At first, a wave of disappointment washed over her.She had hoped to see them at least once more.But, then her mind turned as she thought of how seemingly magical their little appearance and disappearance had been.They had been like child spirits of the woods, only appearing when they wanted to be seen.And with that thought, Caitie felt as if she truly had seen something special.As if she had been a part of something special.It warmed her heart and once more she turned to Jamie to tell him what she had seen.

"Caleb and Sam," he said before Caitie could even utter a word.

"What?"She asked confused.

Jamie smiled and glanced at her quickly before turning his eyes back to the road.When driving on that road, one always had to stay alert for kids running about."Their names are Caleb and Sam.They are both here for the first year this year.And they became best friends when they realized that they are both big X-Men fans."

Jamie glanced at Caitie again.'They always go for a run on that path around this time each day.Sam is hoping to make his school's cross country team next year." 

Caitie thought for a minute, a picture of the two boys running through the woods flitting across her mind."And Caleb?"She asked.

A grin flitted across Jamie's face as he steered the car down the road."Well, Caleb wants to go out for the football team."

"Oh, I see."

Suddenly, the line of trees that seemed to guard the road stopped and the bright sunlight of day seeped into the car as the car rolled into the main part of camp.Jamie watched as Caitie's eyes got bigger and bigger at the sights before her.It was another reason he had loved the location.The road with the line of trees on either side seemed to go on forever.But, that was just a simple farce.One minute you would be driving through the woods and then boom……..the tree line gave way and you came upon the main camp.It was always a surprise to someone who was coming on it for the first time.And Jamie liked to see the faces of people as they came to his camp for the first time because it was always the same look.They always-no matter how old they were- looked like Dorothy coming out of her fallen house and finding the Land of Oz outside her door.And it truly was a magical place.

The car rolled to a stop in the parking lot next to the camp.

Jamie felt a surge of pride lift in his chest as Caitie, without a word spoken, snapped her seat belt off and climbed out of the car quickly.She stood on the gravel lot, glancing this way and that and marveling at the sheer magnitude of the camp before her. 

To her right was a small building that looked as if the builders had been too tired to put a true coat of paint on it after erecting the building itself.It looked as if someone had simply opened a can of paint and thrown it in the general vicinity of the building.Caitie, herself, probably would not have been truly surprised to find out that that was exactly what Jamie and Mike had done.Needless to say, the entire building was covered in different colors of paint, splattered in every which way.Ah, Caitie thought, must be the arts & crafts building. 

Next to the colorful building was a very large building, this one painted in brick red."Main Hall" the sign read proudly.Although it was almost the biggest building in the camp, it seemed rather welcoming.Flowers were planted around the border of the building and the windows on both floors were open, their lacy white curtains blowing in the light breeze.

Adjacent to the Main Hall was the biggest building of the camp.A large structure of two obvious stories, it was simply a work of beautiful architecture.The base of the building was in the shape of an octagon, but then the building curved up to form a smooth dome at the top.

"The auditorium," Jamie remark, following Caitie's gaze as he came to stand next to her."I designed it myself."

She turned a smile towards him and he knew in that instant that she loved the camp as much as he did.It had that kind of effect on people.Even people who were only there for an hour or two always left with a feeling of serenity and peace in their mind.

Caitie reached over and grabbed Jamie's hand."Show me more," she said, her eyes as big as a child's own.

"Well," he said, pulling her off the parking lot gravel and into the smooth freshly cut grass."The cabins are over there."Jamie pointed to their left where (Caitie counted quickly) twenty cabins were scattered about.

Jamie's eyes scanned the camp.There was just so much to show Caitie and he truly did not know where to start.Should he take her on one of the paths to show her where the playground was, nestled in a clearing deep in the woods?Or should he simply walk her to the lake so that she could see the kids swimming?

His eyes passed over the cabins and moved slowly towards the auditorium, but they stopped of their own accord halfway there.There, in the middle of the camp, just past the twin sandboxes and just to the right of the flagpole, was a very strange sight.Mike was standing there, grinning like an idiot.But, he was not alone.About forty kids were with him, each wearing identical grins.The older kids were standing with Mike, while each of them held a younger child on their shoulders.And they were all huddled together in a line, as if they were hiding something rather large behind their backs.

"We can go see the rest of the camp in the woods in a minute," Jamie murmured to Caitie and then they started across the camp to where the kids and Mike stood.

"Hi Jamie…Hey Jamie…," several kids called out as he came closer, Caitie close at his heels.

"Hey guys," Jamie automatically answered back and then looked at Mike."Hey man," he said cordially.

"Nice to have you back," Mike returned at then looked at Caitie.

She was standing a bit behind Jamie, as she knew no one in front of her.But, Jamie pulled on her hand and placed her in front of him, his other hand coming down to rest lightly on her shoulder."Everyone," he announced, "this is my friend Caitie."

All of the kids grinned even larger and greeted Caitie kindly.She waved at them shyly as Mike stepped forward and shook her hand."I'm Mike," he said simply."It's nice to finally meet the girl who has been on Jamie's mind for years now."

He snickered as a blush settled on Caitie's cheeks and then he turned he attention back to Jamie."Um, we have a bit of a surprise for you."

Jamie's brow furrowed as he looked at Mike closely.He had not been expecting a surprise.After all, he had only been gone for a weekend.Mike's eyes gave away no secrets, though, as he grinned even more.

"What is it?"Jamie asked, slowly, suddenly aware of how sneaky his friend was.

Mike flashed him a devilish smile and then turned back to the kids before them."Okay, guys, show Jamie the surprise."

As one, all of the kids moved out of the way and Jamie finally saw what was behind them that they had been trying so hard to hide form his sight.Before him stood the volleyball court that he had wanted to put in the camp for a long time.It had been included in the original plans for the camp, but when it came to actually building the camp, the court had to be cut because lack of money.Jamie had always felt bad about not being able to put the court in.He felt as if the kids would be missing out on something.But, Jamie thought, his eyes widening at the sight, here it was before him.Just as he had wanted it- sandpits and all.

"How?"Jamie managed as he stared at the sight before him.

Mike smiled and clapped him on the back."Well, some guy named Alex sent us a check.A very _nice_ check.It took some doing to get the sand delivered here before you got back from your trip, but we did it!"

"Oh wow," was all Jamie could manage as he took a step towards the court and then stopped.He glanced over at all of the smiling young faces near him.Ah, so they had been in on the secret too, had they?Well, he'd see about getting them back for that.

His mouth curled into a smile that mirrored the devilish one that Mike had worn just minutes before.

"So," he started slowly, watching the faces of the kids before him."Who am I going to beat on this court first?"

Suddenly a cacophony of sound filled the air as prospective players were decided and teams were picked.There would be at least three games, it was decided.A championship as it were, to see which team was the best.That way, all of the kids got to play at least once.

The first two teams were picked and they started across the sand to their positions.

"Wait!"A little voice piped up and everyone turned to see who had called out so earnestly.

Jamie's eyes fell on the small girl standing next to Caitie and he smiled.She might be small, but when she talked, everyone listened.Of course, that was because everyone had fallen in love with the little girl.He could still remember how when she had come to the camp, she had been so pale and quiet.The doctors had not had much hope for her to get better.But, that was before she came to K's Camp.

Every eye was on her and she could feel butterflies in her stomach.She wasn't used to so many people looking at her.If she had been anywhere other than K's Camp, she would not have liked the attention.But, at the camp, she was among friends, of whom she had a lot in common with.

"What is it, Kara?"Jamie asked, breaking the silence.

"Well," she started, "there's just one thing."The little girl looked back behind her, where her team was gathered."We want Caitie on our team," she said and she slipped her hand into the older girl's hand.

Caitie looked at Jamie in surprise.She hadn't been planning on playing volleyball with the rest of them.After all, when the team picking was going on, none of them had included her in it.Until now.

Jamie smiled, seeing the absolute wonder on Caitie's face.It was such a beautiful sight.And he had hoped that it would happen like that.After all, it had been the reason that he had not placed Caitie on his own team.The kids had accepted her immediately, without question.

"Okay, Kara," Jamie responded, watching as Caitie smiled down at the little girl."But," he added, "I bet my team will still beat your team."

Caitie's head whipped up quickly and her eyes narrowed as she stared at Jamie.He was grinning madly at her and she new that he was waiting for her response."I wouldn't be too sure of that, Waite," she responded, grinning devilishly.

…………………………

The cool night air wrapped around her as she stood next to the flagpole with Jamie.She smiled at him as her mind remembered all of the lovely things they had done at the camp that day.She was so happy that she had come with him to the camp.It was such a wonderful place.

"Did you have fun playing volleyball today?"Jamie asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

Caitie nodded and she narrowed her eyes at him.'But, I think you let us win."

Jamie threw back his head and laughed. "Well, we'll have a rematch tomorrow," he responded.

Caitie glanced around the camp, noting how everything seemed silent and dark, except for the cabins.Lights were still on in the cabins as every child got themselves ready for bed.It was such a peaceful place to be, Caitie realized.And she knew without a doubt, that it was where she belonged.

"You know, you were accepted by them today," Jamie started."So, now you can't ever leave."A smile graced his lips and Caite felt her heart jump.Had he read her thoughts?

She smiled back at him."Who said I was going to leave?"

They stared at each other through the darkness, allowing each other to have his/her own thoughts.It was so peaceful, Caitie thought.Not a loud sound around……

"Kiss her!"A voice called out from one of the cabins and Caitie and Jamie both turned to see five pajama-clad girls standing outside their cabin.Jamie and Caite both recognized the high voice as belonging to Caitie's volleyball teammate, Kara.

"Yeah, c'mon.Kiss her!"Another voice joined in and Jamie glanced at another cabin to see a few boys spilling out from the inside.

It seemed as if the whole camp was out of their cabins now, grinning like mad and staring at the couple before them.

"Kiss her!Kiss her!"The chant started quietly and then lifted in volume until it seemed to fill the night sky.

Jamie looked back down at Caitie, who was still locked tightly in his arms.She was staring at him, a smile on her lips.For a minute, they simply stared at each other and listened to the chant from the kids that were supposed to be sleeping.Evidently, the couple outside was much more interesting than sleeping.

"Kiss her!Kiss her!Kiss her!"

Jamie smiled."I think I will."And then he bent his head and touched his lips to Caitie's own as the kids clapped and cheered.

Well, I really enjoyed writing this chapter.What did you guys think of it?I am thinking, perhaps, of writing about K's Camp in an entirely separate fic. It just seems that there is so much I can still do with it after this fic is over with.So, what do you guys think?Should I write a separate fic about K's Camp?

On a separate note: The next chapter will be about Hank and Melanie.Please don't forget to review….. 


	3. Chapter Three

Ava Grendiol had been in the hotel cleaning business for over two decades

Disclaimer: I own nothing IaHb related.

Note: Okay guys, this fic is slowly drawing to an end.I think there will only be one or two (probably one, though) more chapters after this one.Hope you like it.Please review.

Ava Grendiol had been in the hotel cleaning business for over two decades.At the ripe age of nineteen, she had started out on her chosen career path, working hard to make people comfortable as they stayed in the Kingsport Hotel.At first, she had only been in the business for the money.She had always been able to pick up a bit of extra money cleaning a room here and there.But, then she had gotten pregnant and had moved in with her boyfriend, Joe.Joe worked in the garage downtown, fixing cars.And after the baby was born, it became evident fast that Ava was going to have to pick up more than just a few hours in order to make ends meet.Thus, her career began.

The work had been hard at first and she had hated it with every inch of her being.But, after a while, when she had finally gotten used to pushing the heavy cart of cleaning supplies down the seemingly endless corridors of the hotel, she grew to love her work.She prided herself on the fact that the rooms that she was responsible for had always shined after her hand had passed over them.And slowly, but surely, she had worked her way up to Head Cleaning Lady, a very good position to be in.

Over the years, Ava realized that she loved the people of her job the most.Sure, they were always just passing through, but it was fun to imagine what they were in town for.For example, the man in 3B had to be a businessman because he always was seen in the lobby in a suit, with a briefcase in one had and a cell phone in the other one.And the lady in 5E was in some sort of band as her room was always littered with sheet music of some sort or another.Ava loved trying to figure out who the guests of the hotel were and where they were going in life.And that was why she loved the six younger adults who had come to stay in the hotel for the reunion.Sure, other people had come to the hotel for the reunion, but Ava had not grown as fond of them as she had these six.

There were the two with blond hair, who seemed to always smile at each other shyly, as if they were little kids.And then there were the two dark haired ones, who were so much in love it was evident to anyone with eyes in their head.Ava thought the world of the four of them and she had been very happy to see that each boy had left with his girlfriend to destinies unknown to Ava.But, she liked to think that they would live happily ever after all the same.

The last two young people were her favorite.Ava had been watching them since they had arrived, knowing that they were pretty much made for each other.She had heard one of the other younger people refer to her favorite couple as Hank and Melanie.And she thought that the names suited them well.

They were both as stubborn as mules, but Ava had to guess that the girl, Melanie, was even more stubborn in the long run.And they loved each other dearly.That much was evident.She had seen then walking through the lobby of the hotel just the day before, holding hands and whispering to each other.There had been a look of sadness in both sets of eyes that had made Ava wonder what possibly could be the matter with her favorite couple.After all, they had their whole lives to spend together, didn't they?

Such thoughts had to be pushed from her mind, though, as she worked.The hotel didn't clean itself!And Ava had to concentrate on her cleaning in order to make the place shine as she was used to doing.At that precise moment in time, she was in the hall closet, packing extra towels into her little cart.The family in 4C was gong through them like there was no tomorrow.Although, Ava thought as she added another one to the pile, the kids probably go swimming in the hotel pool everyday…and then there are showers and baths to take at nighttime.All in all, Ava figured they were going through the normal amount of towels for the small army of seven that they were.

Ava was concentrating on counting the towels and getting them to stay on her cart so that they would not fall off.It was not such an easy task and she was so deep in thought that at first, she missed the deep rumbling sound coming from outside the closet.

"What in the world…..," she said under her breath and moved to the doorway to see what all the racket was.Her fingers closed over the side of the door and pushed it open a smidge more than it had been. She peered out from the closet and her eyes widened at what she saw.

The young girl, Ava knew her name was Melanie, was coming down the hallway.She was dragging a suitcase behind her that looked as if it were the same size if not bigger than her.The thumping sound that Ava had heard was the suitcase behind dragged across the floor.

Ava almost laughed at the sight of the girl's face.Her cheeks were red with exertion.After all, the suitcase looked like it probably weighed close to a ton!And the narrow set of the girl's eyes and the frown on her face allowed Ava to know that the girl was up to something.A small curse slipped through the girl's lips and Ava put a hand to her own mouth in order not to laugh out loud. 

Melanie came to a stop in the hall and let go of the suitcase.She stood up straight and put her hands on her hips, trying to catch her breath.And she stared at the door in front of her.Ava, too, looked at the door, trying desperately to remember who was staying in that room.Whoever it was, Ava could tell that he was in a bit of trouble. 

Ava listened intently as Melanie grumbled something under her breath and walked one step closer to the door.She raised one hand slowly and rapped ferociously on the door.Then Melanie whipped around and positioned herself on the top of the suitcase behind her, her hands coming to rest on her hips.

Ava raised an eyebrow as she watched the little drama unfold.She watched as the young man opened the door and his eyes went wide with surprise at the person he saw in the hall.And she listened as the girl, Melanie, tried to show her anger to him.

It would have been interesting to see exactly what would happen, but a voice in the back of her head reminded Ava of her jobs.After all, she was not there to spy on the guests!She had been enjoying the little show, but she supposed that perhaps the couple needed to have a smidge of time alone, without eyes watching their every move.So, with one quiet movement, Ava moved away from the partially opened door of the closet and started gathering other cleaning supplies to add to her cart.

A smile graced her lips as she heard the two outside talking.She tried hard to block out their words from her mind.After all, if it had been her and Joe having a moment, she would not have wanted anyone to listen in.The young couple needed their privacy, she thought. And then her smile grew as she remembered the determined look on the young girl's face as she pulled the large suitcase down the hallway.Aye, they needed a minute or two alone, indeed, so that Melanie could tell the young man what was what.

Ava picked up the bottle nearest bottle of cleaning fluid for the sinks and was just about to add it to her little cart when the young man outside the closet uttered two words that made her eyebrows fly up into her hairline.

"_Marry me_."

Ava gasped and dropped the bottle of cleaning fluid before she could stop herself.She watched in horror as it fell to the floor, making a thudding sound of it's own as it hit the carpet.She looked up at the door, waiting for the young couple to discover that someone had been listening to their conversation.A feeling of shame flushed through her as she thought of how embarrassing it would be when they opened up the door to the closet and found her standing there, a very guilty look on her face and the bottle on the floor at her feet.And how would she explain her being there without letting her presence known?They would surely be angry with her.

And yet……..

And yet, no one had come to the door yet.Ava's eyes darted around the little room, wondering if there was, by some small miracle, the chance that they had not heard her gasp and the bottle falling.She willed herself to take a deep breath and concentrate her thoughts into something manageable.She strained her ears, trying to hear anything from outside the closet that would give her any ideas as to what was happening.All she seemed to hear, though, was a small sound of male chuckling.

Her brow furrowed.Chuckling?It wasn't exactly the reaction she had expected to them finding her in the closet.Perhaps they had not heard her…….

Slowly, she moved, putting one foot in front of the other.Ava tiptoed around her cart full of supplies, as she had done when she had first heard Melanie come down the stairs.And she silently walked the last two steps to the door.Careful not to be heard or seen, she stood behind the large door and peered out the little crack between the door, itself and the doorframe.

Melanie was on the floor, staring up at the young man as if he had just told her that the sky was a lovely color of purple that day.She was sitting on her bum, her arms propping her up and her legs splayed out across the floor.Ava guessed that the young girl had finally fallen off the top of the suitcase that she had tried so desperately to stay perched atop of.Perhaps, Ava thought, that is why they did not hear me drop the cleaning solution.Maybe Melanie fell at the same time.

Ava watched Melanie's face, waiting as the young man was obviously doing.What would her answer be to such a question?Would she accept or decline the offer that the young man had given her?Ava felt herself lean forward a bit in anticipation.This was so much better than her afternoon soaps!She just couldn't wait to tell Joe about how she had been a witness to a marriage proposal right in front of her little supplies closet!

"Say yes," Ava whispered almost silently.

…………………………..

Melanie stared up at Hank like he had suddenly grown a second head.Had he actually uttered those words that she was sure she had heard just seconds ago?She could have sworn she heard those two words, but maybe…just maybe she was mistaken.

Ever since high school, Melanie had wanted Hank to notice her.She had wanted him to see her as more than just a pain in the butt.And at the reunion it had happened.He had looked at her and had seen the real person inside.And that, of course, was when Melanie had realized that she did not just have a flimsy little high school crush on Hank.No, she was full-blown in love with him.

And that was precisely why she had decided that she would _not _leave the reunion without at least giving him a piece of her mind.She had had a whole speech prepared in her head about how she felt about him and how she couldn't help it and how he would just have to deal with it.In fact, she had even begun her speech by saying that since she had cleared her schedule for the next few weeks _because of him_, he was now stuck with her.But, then he had said something-only two little words- that had changed everything.

When he had said those two little words, Melanie had forgotten everything.She had forgotten that she was trying to look poised and dignified on the top of her suitcase.Now her butt ached from the fact that she had fallen on the floor.Her entire speech of anger and determination had gone straight out the window.And, of course, the rather important one- Melanie forgot that she was supposed to breathe.

She looked at Hank, leaning against the doorframe to his room.He was chuckling at her, she knew, and she really couldn't blame him.Melanie figured she must be a pretty interesting sight.Her feet were thrust out in front of her and her arms were propping her up off of the floor.It was the position she had fallen in; Melanie hadn't bothered to move yet.Her mouth was hanging open from surprise and her eyes were as big as saucers.Yes, she supposed she probably was kind of funny looking at that moment.Melanie just wished that she could command herself to stop staring at Hank and untie her tongue to talk to him.

"What…..what did you say?"She asked, rather breathless.

Hank smiled and squatted down on the floor so that they were eye to eye.He tilted his head just a bit and smiled at her cockily as he had seen Jamie do before to Caitie."I said," he started, reveling over the fact that Melanie's eyes were still huge.At least, he thought with another smile, she has closed her mouth."I said 'marry me'."

Melanie's jaw dropped open again.And she looked as if she were about to pass out…or get sick."Um…..," she started, realizing that for the first time since she had come to the reunion, she had no idea what to say to Hank."I…um…..".

"Why?"The word popped out of her mouth before she could stop it.She hadn't been planning to say such a thing at that moment in time, but somewhere in the back of her mind her subconscious had taken over.And it had decided that Melanie needed the little niggling of doubt vanquished in her mind before she even started to truly contemplate Hank's proposal.

Hank smiled easily, a soft look coming into his eyes.Her question was the same question that he had been able to answer so easily in his mind just minutes before. 

The whole night before he had spent wondering exactly what he wanted to do with his life.Was it going in the direction that he wanted it to go?Was he happy?And even as he tried to answer those questions, the answers seemed to get tangled together somehow.They seemed to make a web of sorts, connecting and interweaving with each other.And at the heart of that web?Well, there was only one thought on Hank's mind that had totally put all fears and doubts to rest.Melanie.

Melanie was the answer to all of his questions as far as Hank was concerned.It was strange how he had never seen it in high school.He had always regarded her as such a pain.And yet…..and yet as he thought back to all the times they had been even remotely sociable to each other in high school, he could feel a bit of warmth in his chest at the memories.Sure, he had perhaps not treated her as nicely as he should have, but he really could not picture high school if Melanie had not been there.She had always been a bit of a light on the fringes of Hank's social world.And he knew that she had stayed on the fringes on purpose, waiting.

"Because," he said with a small sigh, "somewhere along the way, I realized that I love you."

Well, if Melanie hadn't fallen off her perch on the suitcase before, she would have at that point.She stared at the guy before her, his words ringing in her ears.Her heart was beating way too fast.Things were moving way too fast.She loved every minute of it.

"Um…..that is, er………", she tried again to make words but somehow her tongue had gotten all tied up again.

"And I figured," Hank continued, pretending he had not noticed Melanie's sudden lack of verbal skills."I figured that if I am going to date a model, I might as well marry her so that all her little male model friends will keep their hands off her."He winked at her."I'd get very jealous, you know."

Hank watched Melanie with satisfaction.It was nice to see the person who had surprised him so much at the reunion now look totally dumbfounded.He could practically see the little wheels turning in her brain as she processed her thoughts.And he wondered exactly what she would say as an answer to his question.There was, of course, the possibility that she might say no.But, Hank didn't want to think about that at all.If she said no………I don't know what I'll do if she says no, Hank thought, his eyes still on the girl before him.She had to say yes.She just had to.

Melanie's brow suddenly furrowed as if there was some sort of idea in her mind that she couldn't quite come to terms with.She looked up at Hank and met his eyes directly.Her eyes were still wide with surprise and, Hank noticed, also a little bit of awe.She looked so much like the silly kid he had known in high school that he grinned at her.Yes, Melanie might have grown up, but she had not lost all of her innocent charm.And, Hank realized, he loved her for that too.

"You…you love me?"She asked as if uncertain as to what Hank would say in return.

He waited minute as he considered his words.Hank had said just mere minutes before that he loved her.So, to him, her question had only one obvious answer.Yet, he understood why she had to ask for reassurance.After all, he had sometimes been mean to her in high school, even though she had had a crush on him.He imagined that the fact that sometimes he had been nice to her and sometimes he had been mean to her had really thrown her for a loop.In fact, in high school, Hank bet that Melanie never knew how he was going to act towards her.And, because of him, she had doubt in her mind.Because of him, she was wondering if perhaps it was all some sort of cruel joke.

Hank blinked once and then looked straight into Melanie's eyes, his gaze never wavering."Yes," he replied, "I love you."

With his answer, a strange transformation took place in Melanie.Her eyes crinkled in the corners as she grinned as big as she could.And suddenly her tongue was no longer knotted up.She could talk freely if she had wanted to.Her limbs no longer seemed to be frozen in the exact position she had fallen into.A large ball of excitement welled up in her chest and she waited, feeling it grow within her.

Hank was now smiling too, even though he had no idea what was coming.See, Melanie had never been too great with words.No, she was more of an action person.If she was feeling something inside, she liked to show someone instead of describe it in words to them. And that was just what she did at that second with Hank.

The ball of excitement was so huge in her chest that Melanie thought she might burst if she did not move.A small squeak of excitement slipped through her lips and she lunged for Hank, wrapping her arms around his neck in a fierce hug.Hank, not seeing _that_ coming at all, threw out his hands to keep his balance and hug Melanie back.But, he was a few seconds too late.Both Hank and Melanie went crashing to the floor, Melanie on top of Hank.The tops of their bodies lay together just inside the door to Hank's room and their feet stuck out into the hall.Hank vaguely thought of the fact that they would be a strange sight indeed to anyone who happened to be passing by his room at that moment.And then he grunted as he realized that he had bruised his right elbow when it had hit the floor.

Another squeak of excitement came flying out of the lips of the person on top of him and he laughed as she popped her head up off his chest to look at him.She propped her elbows on his chest and rested her chin on her open palms.Then she glanced down at Hank, who was suddenly painfully aware that Melanie had rather bony elbows.

"There's just one thing," she said, a look of pure contentment in her eyes.

"And what's that?"Hank asked as he looked up at her.

Melanie snickered, a devilish look about her."Let's not invite Jasmine to the wedding."

………………………………………..

"Yes, yes, yes," Melanie sang happily under hear breath as Hank drove down the highway.She was sitting in the passenger seat next to him, staring happily at the big ring on her finger.

It wasn't an ordinary engagement ring by far.No, it had no shiny diamond or anything like that in it.In fact, it was simply Hank's college ring from when he had been at John Hopkins University, studying medicine.Usually Hank wore it only to very important dinner engagements and such.But, now Melanie was wearing it on her finger until Hank could buy her a suitable engagement ring.And even though it had no huge diamond that other women could be envious of, Melanie still thought it was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

She looked out the window of the car and smiled as the trees and buildings rolled past her in a blur.They were on their way to Chicago, where Hank lived.Melanie couldn't wait to see what his life was like there.She couldn't wait to see his apartment and the hospital that he worked at.She couldn't wait to be there, to be a part of the life that she had loved for so long.

But, she thought, looking back at Hank, it was enough to simply be sitting next to him in the car and knowing that they were going to be together forever.

"Yes, yes, yes," she sang again, a little louder this time.

Hank chuckled.He was so happy that that had been her answer to his proposal.A feeling of warmth and excitement that had seemed to pulsate through Melanie had surrounded him as well, making him feel as if nothing could possibly go wrong.And He could tell that Melanie was still as happy as she had been when she had lunged at him with a hug just a couple hours before at the hotel.Any fool could see her happiness just by looking at her.She was simply _glowing_.

"Mel," he said chuckling, "you have been saying 'yes' since I proposed to you back at the hotel.Is that all you can say?"

Melanie turned in her seat and smiled."Yes," she replied.

…………………………………….

Ava's feet hurt something awful.She had been on them all day, cleaning this room and that.She had mopped, she had scrubbed, she had vacuumed and she had made more beds than she cared to count.All she wanted to do was go home and take a nice long shower.Then she would make dinner for the family and perhaps settle down with a good book afterwards.It was Sarah's (her oldest girl) night to do the dishes.So, that was not something she had to worry about after eating.

She put her cart and cleaning supplies away in her closet and shut the door.She turned around ready to head for the stairs, but something stopped her.She stared at the doorway in front of her, remembering what scene had played out there just that morning.A smile came to her lips as she thought of how utterly romantic the whole situation had been.And I, she thought mischievously, saw it all from my little closet.

"Ava!" A voice cried behind her and she turned to find Lisa, a younger cleaning lady, trudging up the stairs with something in her hands.Ava walked towards the girl, wondering what was going on.Didn't the younger girl know that it was time for Ava to be getting home?She was officially off duty in exactly two minutes.

"Well, what is it Lisa?" Ava asked, a smidge impatient.She was a rather patient person, but she really wanted to get home.Joe would be home soon, she knew.And she did not want to be late.

"These just came for you," Lisa said and pulled a fistful of flowers out from behind her back.

Ava accepted the flowers from the younger girl and held them up to her nose.The flowers were freshly cut and Ava could still see a few grains of dirt sticking to the bottoms of the stems.They smelled wonderful, just like her garden in the springtime.

"This guy dropped them off," Lisa continued, "He was real handsome, said he has had a crush on you for a long time.He was hoping that you'd let him take you out to dinner tonight."

The older woman smiled, knowing exactly what was going on. This is just like him, she thought.He doesn't look like a romantic at all, but deep down inside, he is as hopeless as they come.And, she added in her mind, all of the other cleaning ladies think he is the most handsome man they have ever seen.Of course, Ava had to agree with them.

Lisa handed her a small piece of paper, which was creased in the middle and folded over."He told me to give this to you to."

Ava opened the piece of paper slowly, her heart beating a bit faster than before.

"I hope you like the flowers.I love you so much.

--Joe"

"Thank you Lisa," Ava said as she refolded the paper and carefully placed it in her pocket for safekeeping."Please go down and tell that handsome man that I will be down in just a minute or two."

Lisa nodded and left, making her way down the stairs quickly to deliver the message to Ava's husband.

Ava glanced back at the door in front of her.Her heart was warm as she thought of Joe's gift to her.But, her thoughts changed course just a minute as she wondered where the sweethearts that she had seen earlier in the hall had gone.Were the together?Were they happy?She, of course, wished them all the love and happiness in the world.And she imagined that their lives would be wonderful and such, just as hers was with her Joe.

"And they lived happily ever after," she whispered.For, she too, was a sucker for romances.

Then Ava made her way down the stairs to the first floor, intent on being with her own sweetheart.

So, did you like it?Don't forget to review.Thanks lots.


	4. Chapter Four

The house sat a ways back in the woods

Disclaimer:I own nothing IaHB related.

Note: Okay people, I swear this fic will end soon.Trust me, I want it to be over with as much as you guys do.One more chapter…… I know this chapter is short.But, to make up for it, I am going to release the next chapter within a day or two.That way, you kind of get two for the price of one.Cool, huh? 

The house sat a ways back in the woods.It was a rather spacious home, as Jamie would have it no other way when it was being built.After living so long in a small dorm room and then a cramped apartment with Mike, Jamie craved space.But, in the back of his mind, he had known that he wouldn't always be living alone in the house.And for the last few months, he hadn't been.

The bottom half of the house was divided into the kitchen, dining room (which Caitie and Jamie never used.They liked to eat in the living room), guest bedroom/bath, and the living room.The second floor held the master bedroom, the main bathroom, an office (which had been Jamie's but lately, Caitie had kind of taken it over with her writing stuff), another guest room and (Caitie had been surprised at this one) a small room, whose walls were covered in shelves of books that Jamie had collected all his life.Jamie, it seemed, was a closet avid reader.

A double car garage sat solidly next to the house, harboring Caitie's car, Jamie's Jeep and of course, his beloved Harley.

The house was surrounded almost completely by forest, giving the owner the privacy and solitude that he had wanted.The long driveway curved through the woods, coming out finally to the main road, just a mile or two from the main drive to the camp.And, of course, there was a small dirt road that edged off of Jamie's driveway and led straight to the camp parking lot.The gate atthe camp to this road was closed tight most of the time, unless Jamie called mike at the camp to let him know that he was on his way.Then Mike would open the gate, but then close it right after Jamie arrived so that no curious visitors ended up at Jamie's house.

Usually, the house was rather quiet, as Jamie spent most of his time during the day at the camp.Most of the time, the only sounds that could be heard were the singing of the birds as they ate seeds from the couple of feeders that Caitie had hung near the house and the incessant clicking of the computer keys as Caitie worked on her chapters.But, on this day, other sounds were in the air.On this day, Caitie and Jamie were not alone in their home.

"Can we help?"A voice called from the doorway to the kitchen.

Caitie glanced behind her and saw Val and Tyler peeking cautiously into the room.She smiled.It was just so like them to volunteer for everything- even something as simple as helping to cook dinner.

She took a look around the kitchen, noting what still needed to be done.Jamie was working diligently at the stove, making the sauce perfect.Caitie, herself, was chopping up tomatoes for the salad.And the pasta was sitting in a china bowl on the counter along with breadsticks in an oval bowl.

"Everything is pretty much taken care of here, guys," she said."but if you want, you can carry that stuff in and put it on the table," she added, nodding towards the pasta and breadsticks.

Immediately, Tyler and Val were at the counter, eager to help.They quickly whisked the food up and away to the dining room.Caitie snickered."Some things never change," she whispered.

"I'm glad they all came," Caitie whispered to Jamie as she cut another tomato for the salad."I mean, none of us really got to talk at the reunion."

Jamie nodded absent-mindedly, stirring the spaghetti sauce again.He scooped the long wooden spoon up and out of the pan, lifting it to his lips.Just a smidge of homemade sauce flavored with tomatoes, mushrooms and basil slid into his mouth and down his throat.Of course, Jamie left a little on the spoon for Caitie.He knew he'd be in big trouble if he didn't.being the culinary expert of the house, Caitie always sampled the spaghetti sauce before serving it to guests.As she always told Jamie, "it had to be just right". 

Of course, if it had been up to Jamie, he would have just popped open a jar of store-bought sauce and thrown it in the pan.But, he also knew what a scolding he would get from Caitie if he did that.He could still remember the fist time they had made spaghetti after she had moved in.He had grabbed the jar of sauce out of the cupboard and had twisted the cap off, intent on pouring its contents into the pan.But, a gasp behind him had made him stop and look behind him.She had stood behind him, looking at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head.Then she had narrowed her eyes and said something rather sarcastic about how homemade sauce is always better than store-bought.Caitie had walked to the refridgerator then and had started pulling out ingredients for them to make their own sauce.The lecture on why homemade was better had lasted until they sat down to eat.

There was no winning such an argument against Caitie, Jamie knew.God, he loved her for it- homemade spaghetti sauce and all.

"Here, try this," Jamie said, turning from the stove and putting a cautionary hand underneath the lifted spoon.It would not make Caitie happy to get sauce all over the wooden floor, either.

Caitie turned from her position at the counter and stooped just a bit to taste the sauce.Her tongue darted out and in her mouth quickly and she closed her eyes.Mmmm, she thought, perfect.So much better than store-bought.

"It's just right, she said with a smile.

Jamie nodded, pleased that she approved and then turned back to the stove and turned off the burner.Grabbing a couple of pot holders off a nearby counter, Jamie picked up the pot and started to make his way to the door, which led to the dining room.

Caitie grabbed the bowl of salad she had been working on and followed close behind.

"Oh!Hey, Jamie," Caitie said right before Jamie walked though the doorway.He glanced back at her, waiting for her to continue."I hope you don't mind my inviting Kiandra to this."

Jamie flashed her a devilish grin."Nah, I don't mind as long as you don't mind that I invited Mike."

……………………………………

Kiandra sat back in her chair and breathed deeply.She had eaten way too much spaghetti.It was just that the sauce was _so_ good.It definitely could not have been store bought.A small voice in the back of her head reminded her that no there was no way she was going to be able to fit into that nice little black skirt she had bought the other day.But, she just blocked the voice out.It had been worth it.

She smiled as someone made a joke and everyone else laughed.It was a bit strange being there, surrounded by Val's friends.For so long, she had been the friend that Val joked with and hung out with.All of Val's friends from Kingsport had simply been in the background.But, now here they were, shining as bright as the sun and Kiandra kind of felt out of place, left in the shadows.They had stories to tell, reminiscing to do.But, she didn't know anything about the places and people that they talked about.It was like she was from a totally different world.

Ah, well, Val is happy, she thought.It wasn't that she was jealous of Val's other friends.It was just that she wished she could be in on the laughter too.

She knew a bit about the squad that they all used to be on.Val told her a few stories of some of their calls.And she knew just a bit about each one of the people around the table, as Val had told her about them as well before they even got to Jamie and Caitie's house.

"Hank and Melanie are the ones who are engaged," Val said as she swiveled in her seat in the front of the car.She looked at her friend in the backseat before continuing."Hank was the leader of us EMT's.And Melanie was the girl who always had a crush on him, but…..never got the chance to get too close to him."

_Tyler, from his seat behind the wheel, snickered."Until now," he said, grinning into his rearview mirror at Kiandra._

_"Yeah," Val agreed smiling, "until now.Jamie and Caitie are the ones who live in the house we are going to.They were both kind of the punks when we were in school.You know, the nonconformists.In fact, Jamie started on the squad only because of the fact that he had to do community service."_

_Kiandra pursed her lips and tried to think of Val, the Val she knew so well, being friends with someone who was forced to do community service.It was hard to think that Val, the poster-child for conformity had been friends with such nonconformists.The picture was rather intriguing, though._

_"You'll love Caitie," Val continued."I think you guys will be friends by the time we leave." _

"That's great," Kiandra murmured before turning her attention to the window next to her.She watched as houses and trees flew by in a blur and she thought of how she did not really know any of these people at all.Strange, she thought.This is Val's life before we met.And now I am going to see exactly what it was like.Kiandra was intrigued and a lot excited to be confronting this past part of her friend's life.She couldn't wait to get there.

But, everyone had neglected to mention that the person sitting to the right of her at the table would be there.She wished that they had given her some warning that he was going to be there and what he looked like.If she had had some warning, perhaps her hands would not be constantly flicking about nervously, looking for something to do.And perhaps she would not keep pretending to look at Val and Tyler, who sat adjacent to her, in order to get a glimpse of him in her peripheral vision.

Everyone- Hank and Melanie, Jamie and Caitie, Tyler and Val, and of course, Kiandra had already started eating dinner when there had been a slam at the front door.Seconds later he had appeared in the doorway to the dining room and Kiandra's jaw had dropped.It was as if every guy she had ever admired for their looks suddenly looked pale and sickly.This guy was beyond hot, he was amazingly beautiful.

He was around Jamie's height.Not short, but not too tall either.He had long curly blond hair, which he had pulled back into a ponytail.Kiandra might have been sitting halfway across the room, but she would bet all the money in her savings account that his eyes were brown.

He had stopped beside Caitie's chair to drop a kiss on her cheek and then exchange friendly barbs with Jamie over the portion of spaghetti that he had almost missed because he was late.Caitie had quickly introduced him to everyone around the table and he had exchanged a greeting with everyone.And when it came her time to be introduced, he had turned his gaze on her and Kiandra had almost melted into the floor.Her eyes had locked with his own and she had smiled as he said a simple, "hi."Jackpot, she had thought.Brown eyes, indeed.

Kiandra had been thrilled when she realized that the only empty chair at the table was next to her.He had sat down next to her and her strength to calm her nerves promptly got up and walked out the door.

Now, she looked around the table and realized once again that she really was not a true part of the world that they were describing.After all, the only reason she was there was because she was Val's friend.But, heck, as long as she could sit next to this guy for a little while longer she would be fine.

"It's weird for us outsiders, right?"A voice from beside her said and Kiandra's heart jumped.

She turned in her seat, her hands fumbling with the spoon she had used to stir her coffee with.Brown eyes gazed at her warmly and Kiandra found herself smiling before she realized what she was doing.

"Yes," she replied, "It's strange to hear them talk about Kingsport when I have no idea what it is like.

Mike nodded and brought his own coffee cup to his lips for a quick sip."Yeah, I've only been to Kingsport twice, when I went with Jamie to visit his family.But that was in college and Jamie never told me all of the stories that we are hearing tonight."

Kiandra nodded, not knowing what to say.She had managed to get one sentence out just seconds before, but now as she looked at Mike, she realized that perhaps she wasn't going to be able to get any more out.Her tongue felt like it was covered in glue all of the sudden.Jeez, she thought.I am in rough shape.

Guys had never affected her this way at all, not even close.Usually, she was able to deal with them coolly, efficiently.She had never lost all of her wits before.Well, of course, that was before Mike had walked into the dining room.

"I'm only here because I am a friend of Val's," She blurted out and then mental smacked her forehead.Had she really just said that out loud to Mike?Oh Lord, please let him not have heard me, she prayed desperately.Of all the things she could have thought to say at that time, she never thought she would come out with something that sounded so stupid.

Mike grinned and leaned back in his chair.His eyes rested on her as if trying to assess exactly who she was.

"So, Kiandra-friend-of-Val's, why don't you tell me about your life?"He said after a moment.

…………………………………….

Caitie smiled as she glanced over at Mike and Kiandra.It had been such an act of luck that Jamie and her had thought along the same lines when they had invited old friends to this dinner.She just hadn't known that it would turn out to be a better idea that it started out being.If Caitie wasn't wrong, Mike and Kiandra had been talking away for at least twenty minutes now, blocking out the rest of the table as if they did not exist.

Perfect, Caitie thought and then turned to the person next to her as he squeezed her hand under the table.

Jamie smiled back at her and nodded towards Mike and Kiandra, a ways down the table."Who would have known?"He whispered to her and then leaned close to kiss her cheek.

It was such a smile gesture and after living with Jamie for months now, one would think that Caitie was used to such a thing.But still every time Jamie kissed her, she felt the same tingling in her stomach that she had felt the first time.

Caitie glanced away from Jamie and looked across the table to where Val sat next to Tyler.Val, catching her eye, smiled at her and then looked pointedly at Kiandra and Mike.Caitie nodded and both girls grinned.They couldn't have planned it any better if they had tried.

Okay, so I have no idea where the whole Mike/Kiandra thing came from.I was simply working on the whole Jamie and his spaghetti sauce crisis thing and then Mike and Kiandra kind of popped up and said, "You know what?We like each other.Write us in this part."So, I said, "Sure, why not?"Thus, this whole thing began.Strange, I know.Anyway, one more chapter after this (hopefully).That is, of course, unless other characters start standing up and making demands.

_ _

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	5. Chapter Five

Dear Caitie,

Disclaimer: I do not own anything IaHB related.

Note: Wow, I actually got this out pretty early. I didn't expect it to be out for another couple of days. Anyway, this is the last chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed this fic and the fic before it, 'Second Chances'. Thanks for all the reviews.

I got the idea to write this chapter in a letter format from Mad Cow, who recently did a fic in e-mail format. Thanks for the inspiration, MC.

Dear Caitie,

I just wanted to write and thank you again for inviting us down to the camp. The house is beautiful and I am so glad that you and Jamie are living there together.

It was so great seeing you two and Hank and Melanie again. And it was a lot of fun to sit there and reminisce for a while. Kiandra said she had a good time too (but I think that's more because she met Mike instead of because she liked our stories. She still has not stopped talking about him.)

Speaking of Kiandra, she's moving out of the apartment next weekend. Tyler and I felt kind of bad about this because we didn't want to make her feel like the 'third wheel'. But, she says that she wants to get out and get a place of her own anyway. So, maybe this is for the best. I mean, Kiandra will be happy in her new place and Tyler and I will have a bit more privacy.

Val

P.S.- Tyler no longer has to substitute at the school. Old Mr. Peterson finally retired, so Tyler has been asked to fill the position as 11th grade math teacher. As you can probably imagine, Tyler is thrilled!

__

Val,

That's so great about Tyler getting the job. So now, when is he going to get around to proposing to you? I know, I know. You guys are taking it slow. Anyway, maybe it is good that Kiandra is moving out. I mean, like you said, now you and Tyler will have more privacy. Oh, and tell Kiandra that Mike hasn't stopped talking about her either.

I'm sorry this is so short, but I only had a few minutes to write. Tonight is campfire night at the camp and I have to get down there before Jamie eats all the smores. Talk to you soon.

Caitie.

..................................................................

__

Alex,

Thank you so much for the check you sent to the camp. Usually, I send out a formal thank you letter to a donor, but I thought this was more appropriate. Anyway, we have used the money to set up a volleyball court, complete with sand. And, it truly gets a lot of use. In fact, this weekend we are having our first annual volleyball tournament between the cabins. The kids are really looking forward to it.

If you ever get a chance, come visit us. Then you can see the camp yourself.

Thanks again for the donation.

Jamie

P.S.- Enclosed is a picture of all the kids from Session 2 in front of their new volleyball court.

....................................................................

Kiandra,

I hope you don't mind, but I got your address from Caitie. I just wanted to write you and say that it was a lot of fun talking to you when you and the others came to visit. Sometime you should come again and I'll show you around the camp. Remember, us non-Kingsport people have to stick together.

Mike

P.S.- How is the apartment hunting going?

__

Dear Mike,

The apartment hunting is going awful! Apparently, every apartment in the city is already taken. And to make it worse, I was laid off from my job the other day. Val and Tyler said that I can stay with them as long as I need to, but I really want to get out and give them their own space.

I've put my application in to a few places, but so far, no one has called back. I don't know. Maybe I am looking in the wrong direction. You know what? Maybe I could do something with art. I mean, I did minor in art in college and I've always been interested in it. I'll let you know how it goes.

And how are you doing?

Kiandra

Kiandra,

I have a great idea. Mrs. Krewson, the art director here at the camp, is going on maternity leave soon. Why don't you come down here and fill in for her while she is gone? You can live here and still look for a job in the city.

I already mentioned this to Jamie and he thinks it's a great idea. So, what do you say? Do you want the job?

Mike

__

Mike,

Yes, yes, yes! I would love to do that! Just let me know when you guys need me down there and I'll be there. Oh, it's such a relief to know that I have some idea of what I'm going to do now. And Val and Tyler are both very happy for me. They even took me out to dinner to celebrate. Not bad, eh?

Oh, this is going to be so much fun. I have a lot of ideas for what I can do with the kids. I can't wait to show you and Jamie. 

And now, you can show me around the camp like you wanted to.

See you soon!

Kiandra

.....................................................................

Tyler,

Hey man! I heard that you got that teaching position! Super cool. Listen, I know things will be busy for you now- what with the job and living with Val. (How is that going, by the way?) But, I was kind of hoping that you wouldn't be busy on April 23rd of this year. See, man, I am marrying the most beautiful girl that day and I was wondering if you would like to be one of my best men. We've known each other for a really long time now, and I think it would be cool if you could be part of our day. So, what do you say?

Of course, you'll be getting a formal invitation and all that. But, I wanted this to be straight from me. Let me know what you think.

Hank

Jamie,

Hey! How is the camp going? I tried to call you yesterday to catch up, but Caitie said you were in the middle of a very important soccer game. So, I chatted with her for a while. I thanked her for inviting Mel and I down to the camp. And I thank you too. It was really cool to see everyone again. 

Anyway, the reason I am writing is that Mel and I finally set a date. On April 23rd of this year, I am going to be getting married. Of course, my first thought was whom I was going to pick as my best man. It was a hard decision because it came down between you and Tyler. So, I decided to pick you both. So, will you do it? I really hope that you and Caitie both can be there to celebrate with us. 

You and Caitie will be getting a formal invitation as soon as Mel picks out which design she wants on the front of the card. Women! Jeez, if it were up to me, I'd make them all on my computer. Let me know what you decide.

Hank.

Hank,

Of course I will be one of your best men. Why did you even have to ask?

Tyler

__

Hank,

Caitie and I will be there. And, yes, I will be one of your best men. I have to say, though, there aren't many people who can get me into a tux. But, for your wedding, my friend, I will don one for the day.

Jamie

..........................................................

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Hank Beecham and Melanie Chong. 

The nuptials will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April the 23rd. 

Reception will follow immediately afterwards at the Kingsport Banquet Hall.

..............................................................................

Brooke smiled as she gazed out the window. She was at the EMS station, but that didn't really matter. Everything had been filed; all the paperwork was done. Frankly, she really didn't have anything to do at that moment. And so, there she sat, staring out the window, her mind lost in thought.

She knew that they would eventually catch on to what she had done at the reunion. After all, one minute they all had been moping in their soup and the next minute they had been laughing at another memory of days gone by. It would just be natural that they would sometime wonder what had happened to change the mood. And Brooke knew that when they did question the change, they would try to think back to the series of events that had occurred. Inevitably, it seemed, her name would come up.

She could just see the enlightenment on each of their faces when they finally realized how she had tricked them all. Well, Brooke thought, they needed to be tricked.

It had been a close one. If Brooke hadn't known the people involved so well, then things would not have gone the way she had planned. If she hadn't known what they needed to hear, to be reminded of the most......

And she really had not had a lot of time. She hated it when that happened. Sure, Brooke did her best work when under a deadline, but still. Deadlines sucked.

Brooke looked away from the window and glanced down at her lap. Six letters, almost identical in content sat there. She smiled as her eyes alighted on them. Yes, they had caught on to her little scheme.

The letters had come all on the same day, through some miracle of the post office. Brooke thought it was sign that things are as they should be in all her favorite couple's lives.

She placed her fingers on the top letter and opened it slowly. Of course, she had already read all them all. But, it was fun to read them again and see the similarities and yet the differences in each message.

Brooke,

You little Devil! I know what you did at the reunion! There is no use trying to hide it. I was thinking about the reunion the other day with Tyler and we both realized what you did. Well, all I really can say is thank you. Without your help to remember all the good memories, I am not sure that Tyler and I would be together right now. So, thanks Brooke. You are the best little sister.

Val

Brooke folded the letter back up and placed it on the little stand next to her chair. She didn't even glance at the next letter before picking it up. But, her eyes came back to rest on the paper in her hand as she began to read.

Brooke,

Val and I are on to you! We know what you did at the reunion. And all I have to say is..........thanks. Without you, I might not have gone to the city with Val. And since you helped us out, I will be the first to let you in on a little secret. I am going to ask Val to marry me tonight. I have the ring and everything. Wish me luck!

Tyler

"Good luck," Brooke whispered, although she knew that Tyler needed no luck. Val was sure to say yes with no hesitation whatsoever. She couldn't wait to help plan that wedding.

She picked up the next letter and opened it to read.

Dear Brooke,

Mel and I want you to know that we are forever indebted to you for what you did at the reunion. I can't even think of life without Mel, but it might have been a reality if it hadn't been for you and your little trick. You had us all fooled and you led us right into your trap. Great job! And thanks.

Can't wait to see you at the wedding.

Hank 

The next letter, Brooke had been a little surprised to see. After all, she had never really known Melanie that well. She had not been at EMT or a good friend of Val's. Therefore, Brooke had not really known her. But, still, it was so nice to see the polite handwriting on the next letter.

__

Brooke,

I just wanted to thank you for what you did at the reunion. If you had not made me jealous by mentioning Jasmine, I am not sure that I would have realized the true depth of my feelings for Hank. So, thank you.

I know that I don't know you too well, but I think the world of you because of what you did. I was wondering if perhaps you would be my maid of honor. I wanted my maid of honor to be someone very special. I think that you are in a way that no one else could be because of what you did for Hank and I. So, will you do it?

Melanie 

"Of course," Brooke said out loud. She was truly honored that Melanie would even suggest such an idea to her. Brooke had never expected it, but it was great to know that she was appreciated for what she had done.

Brooke placed that letter with the other ones on the table and opened the next one.

__

Brooke,

How sly! How devious! I see you have learned well from your Auntie Caitie. Don't think that I am not on to you. I know exactly what you did at the reunion. And after I explained it to Jamie, he knew too. Men! You have to hold their hand and guide them sometimes. 

Anyway, thanks a lot for showing me just how much Jamie has meant to me over the years. I am so glad that I am living here with him at the camp. And I just feel so much more...complete because I am with him now. And it is all because of you. Thanks.

So, the other night, I proposed to Jamie. It was kind of funny because I got the whole camp in on it. Anyway, he was so surprised; he didn't even know what to say! It was great. Of course, he said yes. And although, neither of us are ready for marriage, it is nice to know that we are engaged. I mean, at least marriage will be somewhere down the road, but right now we are happy enough to be engaged.

Thanks again for everything.

Caitie

Brooke smiled and looked at the last letter. She laughed as the few words quickly met her eyes. From Jamie, she would never have expected anything else.

__

Brooke,

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Jamie

Brooke smiled. Her three favorite couples were doing fine. Everyone was happy. And there were two weddings to plan for. Well, Brooke thought, glancing over Caitie's letter again. There should be three, but......... And then Brooke smiled. There was plenty of time to work on Caitie and Jamie. After all, Brooke still had a couple of tricks up her sleeve.

"Hey Alex," she called out from her seat in the chair. "You have got to see the letters that came in the mail today for me."

And with that, Brooke rose from her seat and walked the short way to Alex's office, intent on showing him the letters and devising a new plan. I rock, she thought.

The End

So, what did you think? Please review.


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